Hardwood floor refinishing · Mequon, Wisconsin
Floor refinishing in Mequon
Big open first floors, two-story foyers and long runs of oak and maple that show every scratch. Sanding, refinishing and hardwood installation by Art Flooring & Construction, working around Milwaukee and Ozaukee County since 2005.
What we find
Mequon floors
Mequon houses are bigger and newer than most of what we sand in Milwaukee, and the floors are different because of it. A lot of homes here have one continuous floor running from the foyer through the kitchen and into the family room — sometimes well over a thousand square feet with no break. On a floor like that the finish has to look even from one end to the other, and a dull traffic lane from the garage door to the sink shows up in every photo.
The wood itself varies more than in older suburbs. You find site-finished red and white oak, maple in kitchens, wide-plank floors in newer builds, and plenty of engineered and prefinished flooring from the nineties and two-thousands. Older ranches and colonials closer to Thiensville often still have their original oak, sometimes under carpet in the bedrooms.
Because of that mix, the first thing we do in a Mequon house is figure out what the floor actually is. Solid site-finished oak can be sanded and changed completely — new stain, new sheen. Engineered and prefinished floors need a closer look before anyone promises a full sand.
What a job looks like
- We identify the floor — solid, engineered or prefinished — and check thickness before quoting
- Loose boards refastened and damaged boards woven in before sanding
- Full grit sequence — 36, 60, 80, 100 — with edges matched to the field
- Large open areas sanded and coated in one continuous pass so there are no lap lines
- Three coats of finish, waterborne or oil-modified
- Stairs and landings quoted per tread so they match the main floor
Changing the color
Plenty of Mequon floors went in with a golden or orange-toned oak finish that now looks dated. Sanding to raw wood lets you go natural, lighter, or darker. We put down stain samples on your actual floor before committing, because the same stain looks different on red oak, white oak and maple.
The process
Why the sequence matters
Cut flat
The first pass at 36 grit takes off the old finish and levels any cupping or overwood between boards. On a large open floor this pass sets how flat the whole room will look under light from big windows.
Refine
60 and 80 grit remove the scratch the coarse paper left. Maple in particular shows any skipped grit as swirls once finish goes on, and the only fix for that is sanding again.
Finish
Waterborne finish stays clear and keeps white oak and maple from yellowing. Oil-modified polyurethane deepens the color and takes longer to cure. We help you pick based on the look you want and when you need the rooms back.
Cost in Mequon
Per square foot · sand + 3 coats
That range covers sanding and three coats of finish on a floor in ordinary condition. Where your floor lands in the range depends on its condition and what you want done to it.
What moves the price
| Stain | Natural finish is included. A stain color adds a step and dry time. |
|---|---|
| Repairs | Cutting out and weaving in damaged boards is priced by the area. |
| Stairs | Quoted per tread, so you only pay for what you want matched. |
| Pet damage | Deep urine stains often mean replacing boards rather than sanding. |
Full pricing detail is on our main pricing page.
Recent work
Floors around Milwaukee
Questions
Before you call
Can my engineered floor be sanded?
It depends on how thick the real-wood top layer is. A thick wear layer can be sanded and refinished; a thin one can only be recoated or replaced. We check at a floor register or a transition strip before quoting, so you know which you have before any work starts.
Our floor came prefinished. Can it be refinished?
Often, but factory finishes are very hard and most prefinished boards have beveled edges, so the job looks different from sanding a site-finished floor. If the floor is only worn on the surface, a screen and recoat may be the better and cheaper answer. We tell you which after we see it.
Can you make our oak lighter or change the color?
Yes, on solid and thick-engineered floors. Sanding to raw wood removes the old color, and from there you can go natural, lighter or darker. We test stain samples on your floor first.
Do we need to be out of the house?
You need to stay off the floors being worked on, and those rooms need to be cleared of furniture. With waterborne finish many families stay in the rest of the house. Oil-modified finish has a stronger odor while it cures, so plan around that if you choose it.
Do you do tile or carpet?
No. Hardwood sanding, refinishing and installation, plus laminate and vinyl plank. No tile, no carpet.
Get a quote
Tell us about the floor in Mequon
We answer quote requests the same day, most days. If you would rather talk it through, call 414-255-3035.